


Corners of the World

by aintweproudriff



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Exchange Student, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Multi, Pure and sweet, chapter 2 is basically a chatfic, these boys love each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2019-02-03 19:34:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12754770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aintweproudriff/pseuds/aintweproudriff
Summary: Prompt: The four go to study a semester abroad in different parts of the world





	1. Airport Sendoff

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! This is a great fic for me to come back with, because the prompt is genius and I love it. Hope you enjoy!

They loaded the luggage out of the trunk of the taxi. Albert could tell that Race, at least, was in a rush. No one else seemed to be too stressed; in fact Albert would have been okay if they didn’t get the luggage out at all, if instead they turned around and went directly back home. But no. Spot got his luggage out first, and wheels hit the pavement. His backpack was thrown snugly over his shoulders, and he double checked his back pocket for a boarding pass and a passport. Race pulled his luggage from the trunk next: a big suitcase, a small suitcase, and a backpack. Albert took the big suitcase from Race, smiling in way of promising that he’d carry it for now. Elmer grabbed a few bags as well, and Albert put on Elmer’s backpack. 

They waved at the cab driver, who Albert had already paid, and the man drove off. The four of them walked in silence to the glass door of the airport, not knowing what to say. Or maybe they didn’t want to say anything, for fear of saying the wrong thing. 

Spot, Race, and Elmer waited in line at the entry desk, boarding passes already all printed. They had their passports scanned and their luggage checked, and they came back to Albert when they were done. Race was more awake by this time, and Albert found himself glad for the jokes his boyfriend cracked. 

“I mean, the guy at the counter there asked me how much baggage I was checking. And I kind couldn’t help myself!” Race said on their way down the stairs to the security line. “I asked him if he meant physical baggage or emotional baggage!” 

Albert giggled, and Spot gently hit Race on the back of his head. 

“Poor guy just rolled his eyes. I mean, how many times has he probably heard something similar?” Race explained. 

“I dunno,” Albert shook his head slightly. “I thought that was pretty original.”

Spot made a small noise that sounded similar to ‘are you sure about that?’. “Don’t encourage him, Al,” Spot whispered. 

Albert smiled at the two of them. Realizing he’d lost Elmer, he began looking around. Elmer had, apparently, long since moved ahead of the group. He was sat in a coffeeshop called “Layover Coffee,” and Albert chuckled at the grin on Elmer’s face. 

“What do you look so smug for?” he sat down in one of the chairs next to him. 

Elmer squinted. “Smug? I’m not… uh, I’m not tryin’ to be smug.”

“Well you’ve got that face on,” Race sat down across from Albert. “It looks like you think you’re better than everyone in the airport.”

“I mean, well,” Elmer stuttered, then breathed as if coming to a resolution. “I was just kinda thinking I was better than anyone else in the airport. I mean, uh, I’m at least luckier than everyone else.”

Spot had sat down already, but he shuffled his bag around. “Luckier how?”

“Well,” he blushed slightly. “I don’t think anyone else has three boyfriends to go to the airport with. And if they do, those boyfriends aren’t as cute as mine are. So like, yeah. I think I’m at least luckier, if not better, than some of the other people here.”

“You’re a dork, El,” Albert laughed. 

“Yeah, I know,” Elmer raised his eyebrows. “But-”

“But you’re cute. Yeah.”

Race coughed. “Guys? Uh, I love ya and all. But, uh,” he let out a shaky breath, “I need to leave. My plane leaves soon, about an hour and a half. And I need to get through security and all that, so you’ve gotta choose if you three are comin’ with me or if you’re stayin’ here.”

None of them spoke for a second; they only sighed in unison. 

“I think, at least, I’m gonna stay here with Al,” Elmer spoke up. “My flight doesn’t leave for a few hours. So I don’t want to sit around alone for more than I have to. If waiting around is okay with Albert, of course.”

“Race, do you want someone to come with you?” Spot asked, his eyebrows raised. 

“Honestly?” Race shrugged. “I couldn’t care one way or another. I wouldn’t wanna make any of you sit around alone, like El said. I’m totally fine with going alone.”

Albert nodded, doing his best to understand. He wouldn’t have wanted to go through the airport unless he really had to. That was why he was glad he wasn’t taking part in the foreign exchange program: it was too much work. His boyfriends, however, didn’t seem to mind it. 

“Okay,” Spot nodded. Albert couldn’t help but notice Spot’s eyes. So often, they looked gray and stormy, but once in a while (now, for example) they would soften when he looked at one of them, and his whole face seemed to shift. 

“This is a direct flight, right?” Albert asked. “No layovers?”

“That’s right,” Race threw his backpack over his shoulder. 

Elmer looked pointedly at Race. “Okay. So text us when you’re about to get on the plane, and when you land safely in Rome. Alright?”

“Yeah yeah, mom,” Race’s mouth was in a crooked smile. He stepped forward, letting his small suitcase fall to the ground, and kissed Elmer softly, pausing to smile dopily every few seconds. “I love you,” he whispered when he pulled back, keeping his hands on Elmer’s back. “And I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, love,” Elmer kissed Race once more before taking two steps back. 

“Hey!” Spot’s eyes still looked soft as he grabbed Race’s hand and pulled him towards him. “I’m gonna miss you too, you know.”

Race grinned and kissed Spot quickly, deciding instead to rest his head on Spot’s shoulder and pull him close as tightly as he could. “Yeah, I know. I’m goin’ to miss you, Sean. A lot. Jesus.” 

Albert took special notice of Race’s face in this moment. It was bright red, and his lips were pursed together, and his eyes were squeezed shut to keep from crying. Spot, however, was already crying. When he was released from the hug, he wiped his eyes furiously, trying to hide the tear. 

“I love you,” Race kissed him again, for longer this time.

“I love you too.”

Race looked over to Albert, and as he stepped up to him, took his hands. 

“Race?” Albert says, his face blank. 

“Yeah?”

“If you see a hooker, while you’re in Italy, you know what she would be?”

“Christ, Al,” Race sighs. “What?”

“A pasta-tute.”

Race rolled his eyes and smiled slightly. “I hate you,” he chuckled. 

Albert laughed. “I know. It was worth it, though.” And it was true; making a bad joke had been worth it to see Race smile before he left. 

“Hey,” Race looked Albert in the eyes. “I love you,” he said, and kissed him, “and I’m going to hate not having you around.” He kissed him again. “I’ll miss you all so much, and I’ll text you all the time. Promise.”

“We love you too, Race,” Spot smiled. “Now go learn a language. You’re gonna be a bomb-ass interpreter.” 

Race sighed as he picked up his suitcase. He waved goodbye once more, made a ridiculous heart sign with his hands, and turned to walk out of the coffeeshop. 

The remaining three watched him quietly as he went through the security line. Before he disappeared, however, he did look back up at the coffeeshop one last time. Even though he couldn’t see his boyfriends, he waved one last time. 

-

“He’s gonna do so well,” Spot whispered and took a sip of his coffee. 

“Yeah, he really is. Rome, can you imagine? Ugh, he’ll be great. He’s gonna have so much fun,” Albert nodded. 

-

The three of them talked aimlessly for another hour, about what they were expecting from their trips and about the families they were staying with. Spot would be studying law in Ireland and England, and was beyond excited for what he would learn at the old universities there. Elmer’s plane would take him to Mexico, and then to Brazil, where he planned on studying cuisine from around the world at one of the schools there. 

Albert was excited for them, of course. What kind of boyfriend - of person - would he be if he wasn’t? But, at the same time, he had to admit he was jealous. He’d only ever lived in New York, and he’d only been out of the state a few times. Going to study internationally seemed like the height of luxury, and he was happy his boyfriends got to experience it. 

-

“I think,” Spot breathed shakily, “I think I need to leave. My flight’s soon enough that I should get goin’.”

“I’m gonna go with him, if that’s okay,” Elmer nodded at Albert. “You’ve been here too long for someone who’s not gettin’ on a plane. You need to go home.”

Albert nodded. “Yeah, probably.” He stood up slowly, and Spot did the same. 

“I love you,” Spot grabbed his hand and leaned his head against Albert’s. “A lot. I kinda don’t wanna leave you here alone.”

Albert smiled. “I’m gonna miss you,” he said, looking up at Spot’s eyes. “Text me before you get on the plane, and when you get down, and as often as you can, okay? I’m gonna be thinkin’ about you a lot.”

“Oh God,” Spot conceded, not knowing what else to say, and kissed Albert. Slowly, like he had enough time to. Like they were at home and not about to be apart from each other for five months. 

Elmer stood up then, and kissed Albert too. His hands were on both sides of Albert’s face, and he pulled so tight that anyone who was just passing by could have sensed the urgency. 

“Go home,” Elmer whispered. “Get some rest. I’ll text you, and I’ll think about you every day. Okay?”

Albert swallowed and shook his head up and down. 

“I love you,” Elmer smiled, and Albert repeated the phrase. 

Hand in hand, Elmer and Spot walked out of the coffeeshop. Albert left almost as soon as they were gone. He didn’t want to stay until he could no longer see them, he didn’t know that he could handle it. 

-

And really, he couldn’t have. The second he got back to his dorm, he sat down on his bed and, realizing how noisy the silence was, crumbled into tears. How was he going to survive five months if he couldn’t survive fifty minutes?


	2. Missing You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Elmer chose the group chat name. also writing texting is really hard

This was not going to be easy. They’d known that when they signed up for the exchange programs. Albert had known that from the moment they’d sat him down, saying that they “needed to talk.” Didn’t they know better than to phrase it like that?

Four Unlikely Lovers  
September 1, 2:13 PM, New York Time  
Al: Y’all. It’s day 2 and im dyin a little bit  
Spot: Im so jetlagged. Kinda just wanna be home with you guys.   
Al: {:-/}  
Spot: What the fuck is that

Days passed, and the sun rose and set. That’s how those things go. Albert quickly found out that during the day, if he could focus on schoolwork, cleaning the house, doing his job, or hanging out with friends, he felt much better about having an empty dorm room to go home to. During the night, however, he had to go eat dinner by himself, do homework or watch television alone, and settle into bed without anyone else in the room. He’d gotten so used to having one, two, or three other people with him all the time, depending on whose room they were in and how busy they were, that now that it was only him he felt totally alone. 

Four Unlikely Lovers  
September 9, 7:22, Rio Time  
El: Good morning! (Al I know it’s like 4:30 for you sorry). I love you guys and I hope you have awesome days! Do lots of work and learn a ton of language, law, and anything else you set your mind to today!  
Race: El I love you  
Al: Elmer youre so sweet!!!  
El: <3

Traveling the world would have been, ideally, something that the four of them did together. After all, Albert would have killed to see some of what his boyfriends were seeing. And he would have given anything to see the sights with them at his side. 

Four Unlikely Lovers  
September 20, 6:52 PM, Rome Time  
Race: Look what I got to see today!   
Race: TreviFountain.jpg  
Albert: WOAH  
Albert: jealous  
Elmer: *sings* This is what dreams are made of!  
Spot: stfu   
Spot: Now that’s going to be stuck in my head

Four Unlikely Lovers  
September 30, 8:13 AM, Belfast Time  
Spot: ItsAFuckinCastle.jpg  
Spot: !!!!  
Race: That’s so cool omg  
Spot: I’m staying in one of the rooms over the weekend  
El: I just woke up that’s the coolest thing  
Spot: I know right!!!  
Al: Babe. That’s cool but its 3 in the morning. Dont wake me up like this.  
Spot: Sorry. t’s 10 ish here  
Spot: *it’s  
Al: Shut up  
Spot: K.

Four Unlikely Lovers  
October 3, 9:00 PM Rio Time  
El: SunsetBeach.jpg  
El: Pretty, right?  
Race: Yeah you are!  
Race: Oh you meant the beach you’re standing on.  
Race: Yeah it’s nice.   
El: {:-/}  
Al: Thats so pretty! Whos that with you?  
Al: (see spot he does that too)  
Spot: (still weird)  
El: That’s my friend Leo! He’s pretty great he’s in my class.   
El: The two of us, plus some other people, are flying to Sao Paulo soon for a food tour! I think we’ll learn a lot!  
Race: That sounds super fun wow.  
El: It will be. Oh!  
El: Here’s what I made today  
El: Empadinhas.jpg  
El: It’s kinda like chicken pot pie, i guess? But wayyyy better  
Spot: Looks good!  
Al: I’d eat that.  
Race: You’d eat most things, Al.  
Al: Yeah. Still! Good job

It was rare that Albert got to talk to them really, besides over text. But, on certain special occasions, he’d be able to Skype with one person for a few hours. 

He pressed “call” on the morning of November 3, and waited for only a few minutes until-

“Hi Al,” Spot grinned at him through the screen. 

“Happy birthday!” Albert shouted, his mouth full of food. “I made cupcakes for you. Some of them burned, but otherwise they’re alright.”

Spot laughed. “You made cupcakes for me, the person who is on the other side of the Atlantic? So you mean you made cupcakes for you?”

“You’re getting good at this law stuff, huh? Really know how to twist someone’s words.”

Spot laughed again, his eyes crinkling at the edges. Albert smiled too, trying to keep from blurting out how much he missed seeing Spot’s face in real life. 

So?” Albert put the cupcake down and some frosting fell on the desk. “Fuck,” he breathed, and wiped it off before turning back to Spot. “How’s your birthday been? Do anything fun? Have you talked to Race and Elmer today?”

“My birthday’s been good,” Spot nodded and rested his head in his hand. “I haven’t done much yet. But yeah, Race called me earlier to tell me happy birthday before he went to class. I was in class, at that point, though, so I had to call him back. I think Elm’s gonna call me a little later tonight, closer to dinner time. I’m actually gonna make myself a late lunch pretty soon here. How long do you have?”

Albert laughed. “I haven’t even eaten breakfast yet!” Spot rolled his eyes. “No, but I’ve got a while. I don’t have class today. Are you goin’ to do anything for your birthday?”

“Me and some guys are going to go out drinking tomorrow night. That’s kinda what they do here, apparently.”

The two of them talked for a while longer as Spot made lunch and Albert made breakfast. It really wasn’t easy only being able to talk for an hour at a time. 

“I think I have to leave, I have another class soon,” Spot sighed. “I’ll talk to you later?”

“Yeah, for sure!” Albert faked a smile, but let it drop quickly. “Hey? When are you coming home?”

“I’ll see you soon, Al. Promise,” Spot’s eyes softened. “Semester ends in a month and a week. We can do that, right?”

Albert blinked hard to keep back a tear. “Yeah. Yeah, we can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. Airport Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i don't love this chapter, but i do love this fic still

The lights in the airport were too goddamn bright for it to be five AM. If Albert knew anything at all, he knew that. He downed another three gulps of coffee and looked back up at the clock to do some quick math. If it was five in New York, it was eight in Rio and eleven in Rome. Albert picked up his phone.

Al: Spot’s on his way home! I’m excited to see him and just as excited to see you two tomorrow!   
El: Yaaay! Send pictures. I miss seeing your faces together.   
Al: Soon. <3

Race must have been in class. A fact which, a few days ago, would have made Albert angry at time zones. How dare they keep the two of them from talking to each other? Right now, however, he was too jittery to care. With one hour until he saw Spot, and twenty-nine hours until he saw Race, and thirty hours until he saw Elmer, he couldn’t have been much happier. 

Albert’s phone dinged a second later with a text.

Spot: In the line for customs. Somehow its not too long. Ready to be out of it tho.  
Al: im ready for you to be here. 

He fidgeted with his fingers. And then with his phone. And then with the hem of his shirt. 

Breathe. In and out, until eventually-

A crowd of people came flooding through. Albert looked up at the television screen above the door. 

“Now arriving,” he read. “Flight 893 from Belfast.”

Albert was so busy searching the crowd for Spot that he didn’t actually see him until Spot was right in front of him, dropping all of his bags at his feet and pulling Albert into a tight, bone-crushing hug. Albert buried his head into Spot’s shoulder, smiling at the soft texture of the shirt. 

“You don’t smell like yourself,” Albert noted when they pulled away. 

Spot’s face pulled his eyebrows together at that. “This is the first time in months that I’ve seen you. And that’s how you say hello?”

Albert stumbled over his words. “Well, I don’t know. I just kinda noticed that you, you, uh, don’t smell like you normally do. Guess I was so excited to see you again, but you’re like, not what I was expecting.”

Spot raised his eyebrows. “You’re a dork,” he shook his head. 

“Yeah, I am. I missed you.”

“I missed you too. Let’s go get my bag?”

“Let’s go,” Albert smiled and grabbed Spot’s small suitcase. 

“You don’t have to-”

“I want to!” he shrugged. “You’ve been traveling all day, Spot. Let me do this, and you can carry one of Race or Elmer’s bags tomorrow. Okay?”

Spot gave Albert the meanest side-eye he could muster. After a nine hour flight, it was actually pretty pathetic, but Albert wouldn’t tell him that. 

-

The ride home, with Spot’s bags in the back of the taxi, was mostly Spot talking. 

“So I stayed in this big-ass castle for like two weeks,” Spot told Albert, and squeezed his hand. “It was so cool, because there were all these corridors and-

“Wait wait wait,” Albert laughed, “say corridors again?”

“Corridors.”

Albert sucked air in through his front teeth. “Is that an accent I hear?” 

Spot made a face. “I think it takes longer than a few months to get an accent, Al.” He leaned his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder. “I could probably try to do an accent though.”

“Do it. Do it do it do it oh my god.”

“Okay. Okay, uh,” his face twisted up so that his nose was crinkled. “I’m Sean, and I was just in Ireland,” he nodded his head on each syllable, trying to get each one right. “And this is Albert, and he’s my boyfriend from New York.”

Albert threw back his head. “OH my god. You’re like, half-Brooklyn, half-Dublin.”

The taxi pulled up to the curb, and Albert watched as Spot looked out the window. His face lit up, and his body jerked forward as the cab stopped. 

“Oh my god. That’s home.”

“Yeah. It is,” Albert nodded. “Let’s go in.”

Spot clamored out of the car, and Albert followed once he had paid the driver. Albert carried both of Spot’s bags with a smile; it wasn’t far, after all, and Spot looked happy enough that in that moment, Albert would have let him get away with anything. The second they were inside, Spot fell down on the couch, stretching his body out as far as he could. 

“Tired?”

“Yeah, kinda,” Spot yawned. 

“Go take a fucking shower, Spot. You should wait a while to go to sleep, since jet-lag and all, but a shower will help a lot.”

Spot’s response was to rol off the couch. He just let himself drop. 

“Did that... help somehow?” Albert closed his eyes to keep from laughing. 

“Yeah, kinda.”

“Get outta here.”

-

Albert did enjoy sleeping in a bed with someone else that night. 

-

And the next morning was easy too. Albert stayed in bed for three hours after waking up, since all he had to do that day was pick up Race and Elmer from the airport, and they didn’t get in for a few hours. Spot stayed asleep for hours after Albert woke up, which was excusable. Albert refused to let Spot sleep past nine, though. Jet-lag killed if left untreated. 

“Come on, Spot, airport time again.”

“Again? I don’t wanna.”

“You wanna see Race and El though, right?”

“Mmph. Let’s go.”

-

Race didn’t let Albert and Spot not see him when he came out of customs.

“AL!” he screeched, running full speed towards him. He jumped onto Albert, nearly knocking him over, and kissed his face over and over. Resembling a monkey, Race threw a free arm around Spot’s neck and climbed on him. Spot laughed, pulling Race close and kissing him hard. 

As Spot and Race went to get Race’s luggage, Albert waited for Elmer at the end of customs. He smiled when he saw Elmer’s face, tired and a little confused as to why he didn’t see his boyfriends. 

“Hey, you look a little lost,” Albert walked up to Elmer, shaky but trying to look normal. “Would you like some help?”

“Yeah, uh, I’m looking for-” Elmer pursed his lips together when he saw Albert’s eyes. He brought one hand to his face and leaned onto Albert without saying a word. 

“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a few boys, would you?”

Elmer’s body shook, and Albert put his hand on the back of Elmer’s head and kissed his hairline. 

“Hey,” he whispered. “Hey. You’re home now.” Albert bent down, and at the same time, lifted Elmer’s face gently. “Let’s go get your bags, and meet the other boys, okay?”

Elmer nodded and smiled, but let a tear fall. 

-

The apartment was very quiet that night. Race and Elmer wanted to get to sleep as soon as possible, so the four of them could talk at length the next day. Albert didn’t mind the silence though. It was a lot better to hear only four hearts beating softly than to hear nothing at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hit me up on tumblr @spot-and-all-his-cronies


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